Child&#39;s apparel-supporter



H. McELDOWNEY.

CHILD'S APPAREL SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPL 14, l9l8.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

H tl I 1 l I l 1 OZ 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. 3 036.??? mlaow e (lbtozmaq H. McELDOWNEY.

CHILDS 'APPAREL SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION men SEPT. 14, 191B.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEElS-SHEET 2.

Moon (H3 HARRIET MOELDOWNEY, 0F WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA.

-. GIEIZIILZDIS APrARnL-sUrroRTnn.

have invented certain new and useful Im-H provements in Childrens Apparel-$i1pporters, of which the following isa specification, reference being had the'rein'to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an appare'l. sup porter particularly adapted fonchildrens wear and its object is to providemeans wherebythe weight or strain of supporting stockings, skirts, trousers and other gar",-

ments, isbrought upon andcarried over the shoulders of the wearer.

' A further object of the invention is, to

provide a simple and convenient apparel support adapted to hang freely from the shoulders of the wearer and swing free of the garment at its lower end to which it is attached at that portion extending over the shoulders. It is also an object of the invention to providea simple, cheap and efficient construction having certain othernew and useful features,'all as hereinafter" more fully described and particularly pointed out, in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 1 I Figure 1* is a plan View of a garment embodying the. invention showing the same'l'n extended position, and with portions broken away to show the construction; Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a slightly modified construction;

Fig. 3 is a similar'view showing a, fur? ther modified construction; and

Fig. 4 is an illustration of the construction shown in Fig. 1' showing the same in use. 7 o

To support the trouse'is, skirts and other garments and also form a supportand place of attachment. for the hose supporters jof childrens wearing apparel, a-n underwaist is usually employed which is provided with buttons or other means along the waistline for the attachment of the trousers and-"other garments thereto and also for the-attachment of hose supporters butthe-weight and strain put upon such an underwaistcauses it to pull across a chllds back and is therefore injurious as well 'as belng uncomfortable to wear. The objectionable features of such a garment are overcome in the constru'ction embodying this inventlon' and I Speeificationof Letters Patent. Application filed September 14, 1918. Serial no. 254,060.

Patented Angel, 1920.

while in Figs. 1 and 4, I have shown the usual form- .of underwaist provided with means embodying the invention, it will' be 7 understoodthat any suitable form of underwaist may be employed or the construction thereof varied as desired without departing from the spirit of the invention.

f InFigs. 1 and 4 an underwai'stof an old and well known form is shown having a body portion 1 provided with reinforcing' strips or tapes 2 which together serve as a belt which encircles the body of the wearer and tofwhich maybe attached buttons 3 for supporting garments atthejmi'ddle of the front. The-waist is also provided with the usual button and button hole strips 4 forv uniting the garment at the back and this waist is usually made sleeveless being provided with] arm holes 5 forming fstrap portions 6 extending over the shoulders.

To form a 'suppo'rtfor outer garments such as trousers, and skirts and also aplace of attachment for the usual hose supporters 7 ,shown'in Fig. 4:, a hanger or yoke member 8 isprovided to encircle each arm hole of the garment'and is applied to the outer side thereof, being attached thereto by lines of stitchingQ securing the hanger to the waist along the shoulder portion thereof, the lower "portion of the hanger being left free of'the waist so that it may swing independently thereof and conform to themovements of the'childs body and the changes in the direction of strain put thereon. This hanger is preferably made of the same material as the waist, such as cotton cloth and is ofoval shape with acenter opening '9 preferably of greater diameter than the arm hole of the waist. The narrowed or tapering lower portion of the hanger extends downwardly and overlaps the waist band of the garment and'if desired this portion maybe reinforced by suitable strips or tapes 10 secured there across in substantial alinement with the tapes 2 on the waist. Buttons 11 may be secured to the tapes 10 forthe at.

14 across the lower end of the hanger parallel with the tapes 10.

The stitching 9 which secures each hanger to the waist, extends over the shoulder, and

downward. at each side of the armhole for r only a portion of the length of each side of the shoulders of the child without putting a strain upon the waist which would tend to draw it closely about the body ofthe wearer and transfer this weight or pull to the childs waist and back. The weight or strain of the outer garments such as trousers or skirts is also mainly taken by these loop'members or hangers and transferred to the childs shoulders where it will cause no inconvenience or injur y The'waist 1 therefore simply forms a means for connecting the two hanger mem bers and for holding these members in place upon the childs shoulders, therefore the form or construction of the waist or means forholding the hangers in place may be varied as desired, a suitable construction thereof for summer wear being shown in Fig. 3 in which the walst or body portion is formed entirely of strips or straps, there being a curved strap 16 connecting the upper portions of the hangers 17 at the middle or front part of the garment with short curved straps 18 connecting the "rear sides ofthe upper portion of the members 17 with the'upper ends of the button and button hole. strips 19 at the back of the garment. Other straps 20 connect the strips 19 with the rear sides of the hcngers 17 midway of'the length of-said hangers and the strap 21 connects the forward side of these hangers across the front of the garment. If found desirable a waist band 22 may also be provided extending parallel with the strips 20 and 21 and connected at'its ends to the button and button hole strips 19. WVhen the garment is provided with. the waist band 22,the strips 20 and 21 may be dispensed with if so desired and the hangers 17.made fast to the waist band. The strips 16 and 21, and band 22 are preferably connected bya cross band or strip 23 at thecenter of the front of the garment for the attachment of buttons 24: for supporting outer garments.

In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 2' and 3, the portion-s of the hanger members and of the body or waist which extend over the shoulder, are dispensed with and a single yielding strip 25 such as elastic Webbing substituted therefor, the ends of the webbing being firmly secured by stitche ing to the supporting members 17 and the body or waist. r

Inthe several constructions the oval shaped yokesor supporting members hang from the shoulders and are free to swing at their lower ends so that the strain of supporting garments comes at all times directly upon the shoulders where it cannot harm the child and will cause no inconvenience or discomfort. Obviously, theparticular shape, form or construction of these yokes or hangers may be varied as desired without departing from the spirit of'the invention, they being formed from fabricyor any othersuitable material and-made up of one'or more pieces as found desirable.

What I claim is V 1. An apparel support comprisinga body having arm holes and adapted tobe secured about the wearer, annular oval-shaped supporting members each having anjarnrhole of greater dimensions than the arm holesof the body, said members being secured'to the body throughout the portions thereof which extend over the shoulders of the wearer and downwardly to points midway of the arm holes in-the body, said portions ofsaid members which are secured to the body being positioned at a distance from the upper portion of the arm holesof the bodyto rest well upon'the shoulders of the wearerand the unsecuredportions of said members being free below the lower portions of the body arm holes to swing independently of the body, and means on the lower end portions of said members beneath'the arm holes for the attachmen'tof garments thereto.

2. An apparel support-comprising a body having arm holes and adaptedto be secured about the wearer, annular oval-shaped supporting members each having alcentral opening of greater dimensions than the dimensions of the arm holes in the body, said members comprising a single thicknessof material secured along the edges of the upper portion thereof to thebody over the shoulder of the body, the edge of the op ening ineach of said members being spaced from the edge of the arm hole of the body to rest upon the shoulder portion of the body at a distance from the upper part of the arm hole thereof, said stitching for securing saidmembers'to said body extend ing downwardly along the edges of said members at the rear side of said arm holesbeing free of the body from the lower ends of the stitching, and means on the lower ends of said members vertically beneath the arm holes for the attachment of garments thereto.

3. An apparel support comprising two supporting members each forming an opening through which an arm of the wearer is inserted with a portion extending over and supported by the shoulder of the wearer and a portion extending downwardly to'the waist line vertically beneath an arm hole for the attachment of garments thereto, said supporting members each including a yieldable portion at the upper end thereof, and

holding said members in place.

I In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature 15 in the presence of two witnesses.

' HARRIET MGELDOWNEY. Witnesses:

ANNA M; Donn,

GHAs. W. STAUFFIGER. 

